Heavier-than-air flight vehicles have been known for that last 100 years or so, and include airplanes and helicopters. Such flight vehicles are used in many applications where speed is necessary to transport people and/or cargo to distant locations.
In many applications, it is desirable to transport people and/or materials to distant locations where the terrain is rugged and facilities may be lacking. For example, in many military applications troops and equipment must be delivered rapidly to intercept enemy troops. The use of flight vehicles is often the quickest method to transport such troops and equipment.
While airplanes have excellent lifting capacity and altitude capabilities, most airplanes lack vertical takeoff or landing (VTOL) or even short takeoff or landing (STOL) capabilities, and they typically require a large open space for takeoff and landing. In many rugged landing sites, airplanes are not suitable.
Helicopters can land and take off vertically, and have exceptional maneuverability. Helicopters are sometimes subject to accidents and failures, such as engine or rotor failures, which in some situations will lead to a failure and loss of the helicopter. Helicopters also use rotors (as opposed to propellers), which involve swash plates and other complicated mechanisms. Additionally, many helicopters have difficulty operating at high altitudes.
U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/070,669, filed Feb. 19, 2008 and entitled “Modular Flight Vehicle,” the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, discloses a flight vehicle having multiple engines driving multiple propellers to provide a lift vehicle with improved flight characteristics and capabilities. The developments disclosed in the current application can be used in connection with the flight vehicle and other inventions disclosed in U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/070,669.
What has been needed is a vehicle that can be easily delivered and deployed for flight, with improved lift and other flight characteristics even at high altitudes, that is adaptable to many uses. The current invention meets those needs.